Want kids to be good digital citizens? Show them how!

These days, it doesn’t take much to put trolls in their place on social media with a couple of harsh replies, insulting memes or “proof” of the commenter’s lack of knowledge.

Entering the fray is tempting, but ill advised. Those who have ventured down that path have learned the hard way that even the wittiest zingers can come back to bite.

But how do we teach kids not to go there? Most educators know that if we want students to understand how to be good digital citizens, we need to show them what that looks like. That’s why it’s great to see movements like #CelebrateMonday, #SPARKedu, #KidsDeserveIt and #Choose2Matter. These are powerful Twitter campaigns where educators are modeling responsible digital citizenship, sharing virtual high fives and inspiring the profession.

Discovery Education’s senior vice president, Scott Kinney, sat down with ISTE’s CEO Brian Lewis recently to get his take on specific ways the educational community can address digital citizenship. Watch the video below to learn what you can do.

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